MIN CHARTER 2018-12-14 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -6 December 14, 2018 A resort was proposed for Punalu'u and shot down by residents there. So there is a threat and '0'oma, or maybe I misunderstood Mayor Kim, '0' oma was purchased with two percent money, the park there, and it was, there was a two million dollar donation for the `O`oma purchase, so that was,'I, I, don't think he had that quite right. So, I will move to comment on the two percent land fund program. I know you have received lots of email from concerned citizens. At the last meeting, Mr. Roehrig asked why we supported the one percent fund that was proposed ten years ago by the Charter Commission and I don't think I answered you fully because I said that we supported it because it had been in the Code where it had been suspended and then we decided that we need to have it in the Charter where it could only be undone by a vote of the people. So we said do it at one percent and then two years later at the next election we brought it forward at two percent which is what is existing today, so maybe that explains a bit better. So the two percent land fund started when public, the Trust for Public Lands did a survey of Hawai`i County residents. This is an explanation why it's two percent and not one percent. A large majority of residents were polled and they said they wanted two percent. Sammie Stanbro who I think is here, donated the money to TPL (Trust for Public Lands) for this survey. This was back 2004, 2005, so this was a long time ago. The Save Our Lands Citizen's Committee petition initiative drive collected 9,600 signatures from April to July. Now, on this island, traditionally there has been 100,000 people who are registered to vote, only 30,000 of that— one-third roughly, actually vote. So, if you have almost 10,000 people that are behind this legislation then that is one-third of the actual voting public. It is an interesting statistic because you can see why 63% of people show up at the polls and vote for this and we do plan on mounting a campaign, hopefully to vote for what you in your great wisdom will put on to strengthen the land fund. So, but, Connie Kiriu and County Council Lincoln Ashida under Mayor Kim's last administration disqualified almost 6,000 signatures for leaving off place, street, or road, or if a husband and wife used ditto marks for their address when signing under each other, or if the year was left out, they were disqualified. Now, make note that we collected signatures from May to July. It wasn't like it was the end of the year or it lapsed over into another year. Despite the corporation counsel submitting confusing ballot language using double negatives, the amendment to the Code passed 63%. Then in 2008 Mayor Kim and County Council suspended deposits to the fund. In 2010 the Charter Commission put it on the ballot again at one percent after we tried our darndest to get it on at two percent and then in 2012 again we got every, we put it back on the ballot as a Charter Amendment at two percent which is what is in the Charter today. CHR. ADAMS: Please summarize. MS. HECHT: So, we ask you to vote no on CA -7 that will gut the two percent land fund. There is much work to do and we ask you to vote for CA -9 to strengthen the land fund program and at your next Charter Commission meeting we will be bringing forward changes to the maintenance fund. Thank you very much. Page 18